IDF begins pumping seawater into Hamas tunnels in Gaza -WSJ

In 2015, Egypt flooded tunnels between the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula with seawater.

The IDF has begun pumping seawater into Hamas’ tunnel complex in Gaza, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday citing unnamed US officials, adding that the process would likely take weeks.

Some Biden administration officials have said the process could help destroy the tunnels, where Israel believes the terrorist group is hiding hostages, fighters and munitions, the Journal reported. Other officials have expressed concerns the seawater would endanger Gaza’s fresh water supply, the newspaper reported.

The flooding process began after the IDF added two pumps to five pumps which had been installed for the purpose of flooding the tunnels last month, the US officials told the Journal.

The first five large pumps had been assembled north of the al-Shati refugee camp during the last month, with each one capable of pumping thousands of cubic meters of seawater into the tunnels.

In 2015, Egypt flooded tunnels between the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula with seawater, sparking complaints that the method damaged the soil in the area.

An Israeli soldier secures a tunnel underneath Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, amid the ongoing ground operation of the Israeli army against Hamas, in the northern Gaza Strip, November 22, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)

Due to the nature and structure of the tunnels, it is unclear whether the method will be a cure-all for the tunnel threat, or will be useful, but will remain just one of a series of important tactics.

The process could take weeks and therefore could allow Hamas’s fighters to evacuate, potentially taking the hostages with them. However, it isn’t clear whether Israel would wait until all hostages are returned.